Philosopher, sociologist and political activist Caesar Rendwells (Girona, 1975), who grew up in Gijon, joined the team hired by Yolanda Diaz for the Somar platform. He is not the only Asturian, with the former Director General of Public Health, Rafael Covino of Gijón, also joining the Minister of Labour; General Secretary of the Confederation of Fishermen’s Unions of Asturias, Maria José Rico, and Professor of Philosophy at the Complutense University of Madrid Agustin José Menendez, who is from Avilés.
Rendueles, a researcher at the Supreme Council of Scientific Research and was a professor of sociology at the University of Complutense, was already a member of Podemos and at the Vistalegre II congress joined the Anticapitalist nomination, which should not be surprising in this philosopher whose roots are Marxism, the scourge of markets and social networks, which advocates an egalitarian society and deceptively rejects the supposed equality of opportunity and merit. The philosopher will coordinate the Welfare District and Social Services in the listening process initiated by the Minister to establish her program.
When asked why he approaches Yolanda Diaz from positions that can be understood as somewhat distant, Rendueles replied: “I think it is the place where I can help our country in the face of a very complex situation through policies aimed at protecting the interests of the social majority and not a small economic elite.”
Rendueles summarizes in three great ideas the direction the country should go. “In the first place, the greatest challenge facing, not our country, but humanity in the coming decades, is the environmental crisis. We will have to design very ambitious and challenging policies in all areas of our lives, but above all, in the Spanish case, a profound change in the paradigm production”.
In addition, “if, secondly, we want these changes not to have a negative impact on those who are worse off, we will have to develop deep egalitarian policies that require, at the outset, a shift in fiscal policy, so that those who are more likely to start paying taxes.”
Finally, “The outcome should be, in third place, an ambitious program of social rights through long-term public policies.”
Rendueles is concerned about the transformation that the situation is causing in Spain and Europe, especially “the rise of new authoritarian forces, which is very worrying not only in itself, but because it is dragging the traditional right towards very extreme positions”.
As for Project Somar’s future in next year’s elections, Rendwells believes that “election outcomes are always a complex mixture of good work and out-of-control factors.” In any case, he is confident that “they will allow the consolidation of a government that is truly committed to political change.”
Regarding the possibility of a fragmentation of the political spectrum to the left of the Socialist Workers Party, Cesar Rendwells points out: “There are other legitimate initiatives that I feel close to. However, I think Somar is now the best place to help reverse the cycle of demobilization that the Spanish left has been experiencing in recent years” . Rendwells is one of 35 district administrators who will have to map out their roadmap for the next election.
